Several Akron leaders have joined community members in calling for the Akron police officer who fatally shot 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker to be fired.
City Councilmembers Jan Davis and Eric Garrett both called for the officer’s termination during the council meeting Monday night. They gave remarks after some meeting attendees stood up in council chambers, while others protested outside.
“Change comes about by being radical,” Davis said. “After thinking about this, and after talking about it with people that I trust, I’m going to call for Mayor [Shammas] Malik to be radical. [The officer] needs to be terminated, and let the chips fall where they may.”
City Council President Margo Sommerville did not directly call for the officer’s termination but heavily criticized responding officers for waiting several minutes before rendering first aid to Tucker.
“To see him laying there, and no one did anything. That should be a fire-able offense,” Sommerville said.
Body camera footage shows it took about seven minutes for officers to render aid after the shots were fired.
It is unlikely that any disciplinary action will be taken until the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation completes its review of the shooting.
Article 25 of the city’s contract with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #7, the local police union, states no officer can receive a disciplinary ruling without a preliminary hearing. It also states officers cannot be disciplined, suspended, demoted or removed without “just cause.”
Even if an officer is fired, he or she can appeal and go into arbitration to try to get reinstated, according to the contract.
A former Akron police officer, Ryan Westlake, is currently in the arbitration process after Malik fired him earlier this year for two use-of-force incidents. Westlake shot a 15-year-old in the hand in April.
Other council members expressed concerns about Tucker’s death but wanted to wait until the BCI investigation is complete before deciding whether the officer should be terminated.
“I believe that we all have due process,” Council Vice President Jeff Fusco said. “Even if you wear a blue uniform, you have due process. That’s a right here in our country.”
Several attendees spoke out during council’s public comment period.
Resident Acacia Reynolds criticized responding officers for not immediately administering first aid.
“Why, Akron, did several police officers stand around … asking for body shields to approach a lone individual that had been shot, instead of going to render him aid?” Reynolds said.
Meanwhile, the president of the Akron FOP Brian Lucey asked for patience as the shooting is investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Officers are receiving threats, Lucey said.
“To the activists threatening to show up at our officers’ homes – just know that will not end well for you,” Lucey said.
Lucey also spoke out against Malik’s response to the bodycam footage.
“I encourage all members of the city to call the mayor’s office and complain about his irresponsible comments and inflammatory remarks during his press release,” Lucey added.
In a press conference last week, Malik raised several concerns, including that responding officers did not turn on their body worn cameras and that they used assault-style rifles rather than handguns.
